abcnovels
Chapter 150: I Hope We Get To Know Each Other
Chapter 150: I Hope We Get To Know Each Other
Chapter 150: I Hope We Get To Know Each Other
Fortunately, Minami did not refuse my request.
It turned out she was in Shibuya for personal shopping.
She immediately took the subway from Shibuya to Akihabara.
About 30 minutes later, she arrived at the all-you-can-eat meat restaurant, and her eyes widened in surprise upon finding me sitting alone at a secluded table.
“…Is it really you, Kim Yu-seong?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
As I nodded in confirmation, Minami sat down with a bewildered expression.
“What on earth happened in the week since I last saw you?”
“It’s a long story, but let’s order some meat first and then talk.”
After sitting still for 30 minutes, just smelling the meat cooking, I was starving.I called over a passing staff member and ordered the most expensive menu.
It was a reasonably priced choice since 4,380 yen allowed access to all 120 items on the menu.
“Have you had lunch?”
“Not yet. I came partly to eat while I’m here.”
Saying so, Minami took off her cardigan and placed it in the empty space beneath her chair.
Once the ordered meat started arriving, I grabbed the tongs to show off my grilling skills.
Seeing this, Minami suddenly spoke up.
“Wait, give me the tongs.”
“Why?”
“It looks like I’m making a child do all the work when you hold the tongs.”
“Don’t worry about what others think. We’re in a corner, so we’re hardly visible. Plus, I’m the son of a barbecue restaurant owner. Can you grill better than me?”
“Well… no.”
“Then just sit quietly and eat.”
As I insisted, Minami did not argue further about grilling.
Having gained control over the grill, I began to cook the meat with artisanal dedication.
“It’s delicious!”
Initially hesitant about me grilling, she changed her tune after tasting a bite.
Watching her, I smiled contentedly while grilling, and Minami, who was devouring the meat without pause, asked with a guilty expression,
“Kim Yu-seong, aren’t you going to eat?”
“Of course, I’ll eat. Just after grilling this.”
I replied, placing a freshly grilled piece of skirt steak on her plate.
Minami hesitantly picked up the skirt steak with her chopsticks and then quietly ate it.
She seemed apologetic, but the meat was too delicious to stop.
“So, when are you going to tell me the story you promised?”
“Oh, right.”
I had been so focused on grilling that I’d forgotten.
While eating a piece of just-grilled sirloin, I began to explain what had happened.
Having repeated the same story to everyone I’ve met since I was in Senior Fuma’s hometown, I think I could recite it by heart now.
After hearing my explanation, Minami responded with a look of disbelief.
“Is it even possible for such things to happen in real life, not just in comics?”
That was a very normal reaction.
And it was the reaction I was hoping for.
“Honestly, it doesn’t make sense. My body’s age regressing due to a drug’s side effect.”
But how could you argue with the results standing right before you?
“Anyway, for that reason, I’m planning to eat nourishing foods for the remaining three days.”
“So that’s why you suddenly wanted to eat beef.”
“Right. Protein is important.”
I nodded and began grilling garlic and kimchi on the grill.
Minami was shocked to see this.
“You’re grilling kimchi?!”
“That’s how Koreans eat it.”
It must have been a cultural shock for Japanese people, who usually eat kimchi raw.
I calmly pressed the bell to place an additional order.
It seemed Minami was getting full, so it was time for me to eat in earnest.
I put three types of beef on the grill all at once.
And as soon as they were cooked, I began devouring them.
Unlike pork, which takes time to cook, beef could be eaten as soon as it loses its raw color, making it easy to eat in large quantities.
Seeing me start to eat the meat with a fierce gusto, Minami looked on with an almost nauseated expression.
It was troublesome if she was reacting like this when I’d hardly even started.
Although my body had shrunk, my appetite remained the same, so the meat kept disappearing.
It literally felt like it was becoming part of my bones and flesh.
After eating about 2kg of beef by myself, I left the restaurant under the disapproving gaze of the owner.
‘I totally got my money’s worth.’
Although from the restaurant’s point of view, it must have been a disaster.
“How did you manage to eat so much?”
Rubbing my protruding belly, Minami asked me in wonder as she stood beside me.
“It just went in as I kept eating.”
“……”
Her expression changed to one of disbelief upon hearing my words.
But what could you do when it was the truth?
Standing side by side at the crosswalk in front of the subway station, I asked Minami.
“So, what are you planning to do now?”
“Well, I’m done with shopping and eating, so I’m planning to go home now.”
As expected, quite blunt.
Although I had known her for a long time as a member of the Student Council, we didn’t know much about each other.
That was because the only common ground between us was the Student Council President.
Being alone together like this was a first since joining the Student Council.
Usually, the President or the Vice President was always with us.
The relationship between Minami and me was indeed hard to define.
After hesitating, I was the first to speak.
“Since we’ve met like this, do you want to hang out a bit before going home?”
“What?”
“I thought, as fellow Student Council members and of the same age, maybe we should get to know each other better.”
“……”
Minami did not immediately respond to my suggestion.
She seemed to be conflicted internally.
Well, if someone I wasn’t close to suddenly suggested getting closer, I’d be surprised, too.
Especially with her rather blunt personality.
Finally, Minami spoke.
“Okay. Then what shall we do?”
“Huh?”
“Why the surprised look?”
“No, I just assumed you would refuse.”
“…Are you going home?”
“No, no, just wait a minute.”
I grabbed Minami’s hand as she was about to quickly cross the crosswalk at the green light.
It was a reflex, but normally, with my current physical abilities, I shouldn’t have been able to stop her.
Yet, surprisingly, Minami stopped.
“What kind of strength…?”
It dawned on me then.
Just by eating beef, my depleted yang energy had recovered significantly.
Minami and I went to a nearby arcade.
Perhaps influenced by the Vice President, who was a serious gamer, Minami also quite liked games.
We enjoyed various games at the Sega Arcade in Akihabara.
We started with UFO Catcher, then played Puyo Puyo, Tetris, Whack-A-Mole, and more, focusing mainly on arcade games.
Especially in Tetris, Minami seemed to be a hidden expert, continuously taking first place in online battles.
It felt like I was discovering a new side of her.
After having our fill of fun at the arcade, we ended up taking sticker photos.
I wouldn’t have taken these if I were alone, but Minami strongly insisted, so I reluctantly joined in.
“Say cheese!”
Click!
With the recorded voice from the machine, the photo was printed on the spot.
Our faces, mine with a subtle expression and Minami’s with a calm one, appeared side by side with various special effects applied.
To anyone looking, it appeared like a photo taken forcibly between people who weren’t close.
But surprisingly, Minami seemed to like the sticker photo, cutting it in half and putting one part in her wallet.
“Here. The rest.”
Then she handed the other half to me.
It seemed like she meant for me to use it as I wished.
I put the sticker photo in my pocket and asked,
“What now? Shall we part ways here?”
Minami stared at me intently, then turned her head and said,
“I’ll hang out a bit more. There’s nothing for me to do at home anyway.”
“Well, I’m grateful. I have to eat dinner in this form, after all.”
As we left the arcade side by side, discussing what to have for dinner, Minami let out a light exclamation, “Ah.”
“There’s an eel grill place I often go to. Wanna go there?”
“Eel? Isn’t that expensive?”
Perhaps not at a regular place, but if it was a fancy restaurant suited to the President’s taste, it might be.
Seeing my hesitation, Minami coolly said,
“Don’t worry about money. Since you treated me to meat earlier, I’ll pay this time.”
“What? That’s not necessary.”
As I waved my hands, declining, Minami took something out of her wallet.
It was a credit card.
“I earn a salary, you know.”
Wow! So cool!
For a moment, I almost saw a halo behind her.
The place Minami took me to for dinner, insisting on paying, was a fancy eel restaurant in Shinjuku.
It was a shop without any semblance of a common touch.
It surely must be incredibly expensive.
As we sat down, a neatly kimono-clad server presented us with two menus.
Opening the menu, familiar dishes were listed, but with an extra zero added to the prices I knew.
…I shouldn’t even dream of ordering more.
I ordered the eel rice bowl from the server and then politely closed and pushed the menu to one side of the table.